The 5 W's of Makeup

A few weeks back as I was staring into the mirror, about to add some pizzazz to my natural look, I stopped and thought, "I know why I wear makeup. But I wonder why others do, too." In my experience, if you ask guys what their opinion of makeup on women is, I have found that the general consensus thinks less is more. One guy on girlsaskguys.com put it this way, "It's fine if you use makeup, just don't slather it on. I think the thing you should realize is that, while makeup may make you feel more confident in your looks and can help to hide blemishes or whatever, you look great without makeup. Personally I like girls who don't really wear makeup, but the fact that they wear makeup doesn't change my opinion on them." I thought that was a pretty sound take on the situation.

Nevertheless, I created a poll via some friends on facebook (thank you, ladies) and asked them several simple questions:

1. Do you wear makeup?
2. How often?
3. If infrequently, what prompts you to put it on? (Special occasion, going out, etc.)
4. What do you wear for makeup? (the works - primer, foundation, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, blush, and lip color; or just ____; or a combo of a few things, but not all).
5. Why do you wear it? (both practically and "impractically" speaking)
6. What makeup brand do you like best?
7. What makeup item do you always use/use most?

I received a decent response, and here is a summary of the results that came from my inferences:

• 2 out of the 17 who responded said they did not wear makeup at all. One simply stated, "I don't wear makeup. Don't have time for it nor do I feel I need it." The other confessed to occasionally using lip gloss, but more often than not just uses ChapStick. Kudos to you, ladies!
• 8 out of the 15 who do use makeup do so daily. The other 7 use it a few times per week, for work, when going out, or depending on the occasion. Minimalists will kick it up a notch for a special occasion or event, adding bolder eye liner or eye shadow.
• The primary reason most women wear makeup is to cover blemishes or "correct" what happens to be less flattering that day. Essentially, they use it to cover problem areas. Half of those polled used foundation regularly. Similarly, concealer ranked high on the list of frequent uses. 

• The one feature that seemed to get the most attention from makeup is the eyes. All but 2 of the 15 usually do something with their eyes, which ranges from just mascara to a combination of eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara. 
• The other main reason given for makeup application is to enhance one's features. Some wear makeup to make themselves appear more "awake" or "alive." Others are looking to make their self-described understated features more "dramatic," for instance drawing attention to smaller eyes to make them seem a bit more bold. One specifically stated that she uses makeup to "enhance my natural beauty." Another remarked that it is simply fun to play with colors as they compliment her natural features and/or outfit.

• Lips seemingly get great care. There were not a lot of responders who use lipstick; however, most use ChapStick, lip balm, and/or lip gloss. 
• Mascara was another beloved product by 13 out of the 15 who wear makeup.
• No one was really a purist. Most everyone used an array of products from different brands. Sure, there were a few that were marked as favorites by their users, but as expected, CoverGirl, Maybelline, Clinique, and Urban Decay appeared semi-frequently. Others mentioned were Almay, Mary Kay, Garden Botanika, Lancome, Coastal Scents, Victoria's Secret, Too Faced, Stila, Exuviance by Ulta, and Bare Minerals.

It was interesting to read through all of the responses. I enjoyed everyone's take on the questions. Yet, no one ever had the opportunity to read my answers, so here they are:

1. Do you wear makeup? Yes
2. How often? Not often during the work week. Usually, I do wear it on the weekends.
3. If infrequently, what prompts you to put it on? (Special occasion, going out, etc.) See #5
4. What do you wear for makeup? (the works - primer, foundation, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, blush, and lip color; or just ____; or a combo of a few things, but not all). My go-to's are eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara. Depending on how my skin appears that day, I may wear CoverGirl's mineral foundation. I don't use foundation more than I do; I was blessed with pretty nice skin, so I don't feel that I require much there. The one feature I dislike is my dark under eyes. I don't generally get bags under my eyes, but they are always rather dark and appear darker if I happen to be sick. Thus, I use concealer to help rectify this. I am a frequent ChapStick user, but sometimes add some color. I own exactly one lipstick, but a few glosses.  
5.     Why do you wear it? (both practically and "impractically" speaking) I have a quick answer, and a bit more explained one. In short, I wear makeup to enhance my favorite features - my eyes. And, I find it fun to use different combinations of products and colors to do so. Now, delving a bit deeper, because my job is highly active and I'm an athletically built individual, I feel as if there is a more girly side of me that people do not always see. Usually, they see the beast of a woman who pushes equipment around all day and holds a 3rd degree black belt. I love that side of me! I do. I am strong both mentally and physically. But I have a softer, more feminine side, too. I sometimes feel as if when I am able to don "real people clothes" and a little bit of makeup, my "alter-ego" appears - the woman who can still kick butt but look amazingly stunning as well. Metaphorically speaking, I am akin to Xena, the warrior princess.Nnote that following the "warrior," she is still a princess, so don't forget that about me, either. :)  
6. What makeup brand do you like best? Most of the products in my makeup bag are CoverGirl. Avon also has some great eye shadows and eye liners. 
7. What makeup item do you always use/use most? ChapStick daily. Eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara. 

Whatever the reason to use or not use makeup, I hope that all women can ultimately be able to look in the mirror and love what they see, both inside and out. Sure, there is always room for improvement (talking more about the inside here), but you are who are you, unique and one of a kind. You are spectacular because there is no one else like you on the planet. The more you are able to love yourself for who you are, the more others around you will too because self-confidence is beautiful in and of itself (not to mention highly attractive to members of the opposite sex). The key to great fashion and makeup application is to work with what your momma gave ya, and I think that all of the ladies who responded to my poll are doing just that. Thank you again, ladies, and keep it up!